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BLOG TOUR: Claire Freedman talks monsters’ underpants!

Posted on Oct 8, 2014

Today I am delighted to welcome Claire Freedman, author of the mega-successful Aliens Love Underpants series, which is illustrated by Ben Cort. Their books together and are published in 21 languages! have sold over 2 million copies Their latest collaboration, Monsters Love underpants, comes out tomorrow.

Monsters love to creep around be scary but they have a dark secret they don’t really want humans to know: they love underpants! The more frilly and bright, the better!
Whether they are from the deep or from space, those scary monsters love all their street cred when they have their undergarments on and these hilarious sights will delight little readers. The bold, colourful artwork we have come to expect from Ben Cort teamed with Claire Freedman’s rhyming text work together create an energetic tale full of fun. It is wacky, it is silly and nonsensical and that makes it so fun. Expect giggles aplenty and calls for encores from delighted toddlers, as this is another winner from a cracking team.

The Underpants books have almost taken over my life – something that came as a huge surprise, especially the first book I wrote in the series; Aliens Love Underpants.
What started off as a one-off funny and rather silly book about zany aliens coming down to Earth to steal our underpants (and why wouldn’t they?), has now turned into an underpant series. It was totally unexpected.

Monsters Love Underpants is the six book in the series, and both Ben Cort (the illustrator) and I were very excited about this particular underpants addition! I know we both love monsters and they are a great subject for children’s books – though my monsters never eat children!! So no scary dreams at bedtime! I do remember reading some books, as a small child, which were quite unsettling, and I would hate anything that I wrote to have a negative effect on a child’s mind.
When working on a text that I know Ben will illustrate, I am very conscious of trying to think visually. With Monsters Love Underpants, I wanted to give as much scope to the art being completely different on each page. So I hit on the idea of having different types of monsters from all over the world – all with one theme – they LOVE underpants, and will do anything to get their paws on them!
I had great fun writing it and I really hope you all have great fun reading the story!
I just enjoy the thought of children and their parents having a good giggle together at reading time, and to introduce books as the wonderful, inspiring and adventurous tools they are. I am passionate about books and as a child had so much pleasure from reading, and still do. If I can encourage children to read more books and get them laughing, talking and having fun with them, then I am happy!